Jonah Bible Trivia: 28 Questions and Answers for Kids

These 28 Jonah Bible trivia questions cover all four chapters of the book -- the storm, the fish, Nineveh, and the strange little plant at the end -- with answers and verse references after every question. They're sorted into easy (ages 5-8), medium (ages 9-12), and hard (teens and adults) rounds.

Fair warning: Jonah is the story kids think they know best, which makes it perfect for trivia -- because a couple of these are trick questions, and what "everyone knows" isn't always what the Bible says. (Start with the whale.)

What Is the Book of Jonah About?

The book of Jonah tells the story of a prophet who ran away when God told him to preach to Nineveh, got swallowed by a huge fish, and then got angry when the people he warned actually repented. It's set during the reign of Jeroboam II of Israel, roughly the 8th century BC, and 2 Kings 14:25 tells us Jonah son of Amittai came from a town called Gath Hepher.

The book is traditionally attributed to Jonah himself, though the text never names its author. What makes Jonah unique among the prophets is that it's almost all story and only one sentence of actual preaching -- and the story is really about God's mercy, not the fish. Jonah ran because he knew God was "gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love" (Jonah 4:2), and he didn't want Israel's enemies to get that mercy. The book ends with God's unanswered question, leaving every reader to finish it for themselves.

Why Do Kids Love the Book of Jonah?

Kids love Jonah because it's short, action-packed, and honest about a hero who behaves badly. In four little chapters you get a storm at sea, sailors casting lots, a three-day stay inside a fish, a whole city repenting in sackcloth -- animals included -- and a prophet who pouts under a plant. If your kids want the full story before quizzing, start with our guides to who Jonah was and Jonah running from God.

It's also one of the few Old Testament books Jesus talked about directly. He called his own death and resurrection "the sign of Jonah" -- three days and three nights, just like Jonah in the fish (Matthew 12:39-40). That connection gives older kids a genuine "whoa" moment, and it's why several hard-round questions below reach into the New Testament.

Easy Jonah Trivia Questions (Ages 5-8)

1. What big city did God tell Jonah to go and preach to? Nineveh (Jonah 1:2)

1. Did Jonah obey God right away? No -- he ran the opposite direction, toward Tarshish (Jonah 1:3)

1. How did Jonah try to escape? He got on a ship (Jonah 1:3)

1. What did God send to stop Jonah's ship? A great storm on the sea (Jonah 1:4)

1. What was Jonah doing below deck during the storm? Sleeping (Jonah 1:5)

1. What happened when the sailors threw Jonah into the sea? The storm stopped and the sea grew calm (Jonah 1:15)

1. What swallowed Jonah? A huge fish that God provided (Jonah 1:17)

1. How long was Jonah inside the fish? Three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17)

1. What did Jonah do inside the fish? He prayed to God (Jonah 2:1)

1. How did Jonah get out of the fish? The fish vomited him onto dry land (Jonah 2:10)

Medium Jonah Trivia Questions (Ages 9-12)

1. Was Jonah swallowed by a whale? Trick question -- the Bible says "a huge fish," and never calls it a whale (Jonah 1:17)

1. From which port city did Jonah's ship set sail? Joppa (Jonah 1:3)

1. How did the sailors figure out the storm was Jonah's fault? They cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah (Jonah 1:7)

1. How did Jonah describe himself to the sailors? "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land" (Jonah 1:9)

1. Whose idea was it to throw Jonah overboard? Jonah's own -- he told the sailors to do it (Jonah 1:12)

1. Before throwing Jonah in, what did the sailors try first? Rowing hard to get back to land (Jonah 1:13)

1. What message did Jonah preach in Nineveh? "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown" (Jonah 3:4)

1. How did the people of Nineveh respond? They believed God, declared a fast, and put on sackcloth -- from the greatest to the least (Jonah 3:5)

1. What surprising group also had to wear sackcloth and skip food, by the king's decree? The animals (Jonah 3:7-8)

1. Was Jonah happy when God spared Nineveh? No -- he was furious and even wanted to die (Jonah 4:1-3)

Hard Jonah Trivia Questions (Teens and Adults)

1. What was the name of Jonah's father? Amittai (Jonah 1:1)

1. Which Old Testament history book mentions Jonah outside his own book, naming his hometown of Gath Hepher? 2 Kings (2 Kings 14:25)

1. What line near the end of Jonah's prayer sums up the whole book? "Salvation comes from the LORD" (Jonah 2:9)

1. What reason did Jonah give for running away in the first place? He knew God was gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love -- and would relent from sending disaster (Jonah 4:2)

1. What did God provide to shade Jonah's head -- and what destroyed it the next day? A leafy plant, and a worm God sent at dawn to chew it (Jonah 4:6-7)

1. After the plant died, what two things did God send to make Jonah miserable? A scorching east wind and a blazing sun (Jonah 4:8)

1. In God's final question, how many people did Nineveh have who couldn't tell their right hand from their left? More than 120,000 -- "and also many animals" (Jonah 4:11)

1. What did Jesus call the only sign that would be given to a wicked generation? The sign of the prophet Jonah -- three days and three nights, pointing to his own death and resurrection (Matthew 12:39-40)

How to Use These Questions

Jonah is the ideal starter book for family trivia because even a 5-year-old can score points on the easy round. Try two questions per kid at dinner, run the whole set on a road trip (the story order carries you chapter by chapter), or use the medium round as a Sunday school review after teaching the lesson of Jonah. For a full evening with score sheets and prizes, fold these into a family Bible trivia night.

One tip: let the "whale" question spark a conversation, not a correction. The point isn't to catch kids being wrong -- it's to send them back to the actual text, which is the whole skill you're building. Our video lessons at Faithful Kids do the same thing, pairing every Bible story with a quiz so kids learn to check the source. When they've mastered Jonah, level up to our Old Testament trivia for kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote the book of Jonah?

The book of Jonah is traditionally attributed to the prophet Jonah son of Amittai, though the book itself never names its author and tells the story in the third person. Jonah was a real prophet from Gath Hepher in Israel who ministered during the reign of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:25), around the 8th century BC.

How many chapters does Jonah have?

Jonah has 4 chapters and 48 verses, making it one of the shortest books in the Old Testament. Each chapter is one scene: the storm, the fish, Nineveh's repentance, and Jonah's angry conversation with God. A family can read the whole book aloud in about ten minutes.

Was Jonah swallowed by a whale or a fish?

The Hebrew text says God provided "a huge fish" to swallow Jonah (Jonah 1:17) -- it never says whale. The whale idea comes mostly from older English translations of Matthew 12:40, where the Greek word means a great sea creature. The Bible simply doesn't specify the species, which makes it a great trivia trick question.

What is the main message of the book of Jonah?

The main message is that God's mercy extends even to enemies -- and he wants his people to share it, not resent it. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, Israel's cruelest enemy, yet God spared the city the moment it repented. The book ends with God asking Jonah, "Should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh?" -- a question aimed at the reader too.

What was the sign of Jonah that Jesus talked about?

The sign of Jonah is Jesus' comparison of Jonah's three days and nights inside the fish to his own three days in the tomb before the resurrection (Matthew 12:39-40). Jesus also said the people of Nineveh would stand up at the judgment because they repented at Jonah's preaching -- "and now something greater than Jonah is here" (Matthew 12:41).

What age can kids start learning the story of Jonah?

Kids as young as 3 or 4 can follow the basic story -- a man runs from God, gets swallowed by a big fish, and gets a second chance. Ages 5-8 can handle the whole plot, while the deeper themes of mercy toward enemies and Jonah's anger in chapter 4 land best with kids 9 and up.